Emerging from the grip of a violent past, Tavon Tanner, a shooting victim at the tender age of 10, has now crossed the threshold of high school graduation. In an uplifting turn of events, the scarred yet resilient teen was draped in a navy blue suit and a graduation gown at Holy Name Cathedral, ready to receive his diploma, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Back on a warm August night in 2016, bullets shattered the tranquility of a Chicago neighborhood, changing Tavon's life forever. Having been hit by one of the stray bullets, Tavon suffered injuries to his lower spine and vital organs. His sister, Taniyah, witnessed the horror, imploring her twin not to leave her, revealing the grief-stricken family. Chicago Police Sgt. Bryan Topczewski, responding to the tragedy, administered crucial first aid that played a significant role in Tavon's survival, according to Fox59. The officer later expressed his touching sentiments as a parent seeing a child in distress, calling the youth the "true victims" of the city's violence.
The Chicago Tribune chronicled Tavon's journey as he adapted to life post-trauma. Family, police detectives, and school friends formed his support network, enabling the once reticent and watchful boy to grow into a confident and hopeful young man.
Among the spectators at graduation were a Denver real estate investor, Thompson Bailey, and his wife, who had become part of Tavon's extended support network after the incident. The investor was moved by the news of the shooting back in 2016 to provide a car and assistance to Tavon's mother, Mellanie Washington. His motivation to see Tavon through to graduation was indicative of the communal spirit that had rallied around the Tanner family since the shooting. With aspirations to secure financial stability for his family, Tavon now looks toward a plumbing apprenticeship and, perhaps, growing a beard over the summer, "he told the Chicago Tribune.
Violence in Chicago has surged to alarming levels, with more than 3,000 shooting victims since the start of the year, including hundreds of children. Sgt. Topczewski's life-saving actions the night Tavon was shot are just one instance of the everyday heroes who intervene in these all-too-common violent outbreaks. Tavon's great aunt, Anitra Smith, described the sergeant as their "guardian angel," a sentiment echoed by the young survivor in his message of gratitude, "Thank you," he expressed from his hospital bed, Fox59 reports.
